LUZ and CITY COUNCIL SET TO DESTROY HISTORIC LANDMARKS WITHOUT YOUR ACTION NOW!!!!
The LUZ City Council meeting on the 6th has THREE items the deal with possible loss of historic sites in Jacksonville. You know 2007-988, to Save Station Five (http://SaveStationFive.blogspot.com) and designate it as historic, but there is also an appeal to the decision of historic to preserve the Annie Lytle School, 2006-24, which if passed, waives the decision of historic to preserve the school.
Introduced by the Land Use and Zoning Committee:RESOLUTION 2006-24A RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE APPEAL OF A FINAL ORDER OF THE JACKSONVILLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DENYING APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS 05-792 (“COA-05-792”) AS REQUESTED BY FOUNDATION HOLDING IV, INC., FOR DEMOLITION OF THE ANNIE LYTLE SCHOOL IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 9 AT 1011 GILMORE STREET, PURSUANT TO SECTION 307.204, ORDINANCE CODE; ADOPTING RECOMMENDED FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE LAND USE AND ZONING COMMITTEE; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.WHEREAS, Foundation Holding IV, Inc. filed application COA-05-792 on September 7, 2005 requesting demolition of the Annie Lytle School in Council District 9 at 1011 Gilmore Street; andWHEREAS, after public hearings, COA-05-792 was denied by Final Order of the Historic Preservation Commission (“HPC”) dated November 15, 2005 (“Final Order”); andWHEREAS, pursuant to Section 307.201, Ordinance Code, Foundation Holding IV, Inc. filed a notice of appeal of the Final Order within 21 calendar days of November 15, 2005; andWHEREAS, the appellant, as the property owner, has standing to appeal; now thereforeBE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Jacksonville:Section 1. Adoption of recommended findings and conclusions. The Council has reviewed the record of proceedings for COA-05-792, which is on file in the Council Legislative Services Division, and has considered the recommended findings and conclusions of the Land Use and Zoning Committee, attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporated herein by reference. The recommended findings and conclusions of the Land Use and Zoning Committee are hereby adopted and shall become effective immediately. This resolution is the final action of the Council.Section 2. Legislative Services is directed to mail a copy of this Resolution, including Exhibit 1, to the appellant and any other parties who testified before the Land Use and Zoning Committee, or otherwise filed a qualified statement as defined in Section 656.140(c), Ordinance Code, or Section 307.202(c), Ordinance Code.Section 3. Effective Date. The adoption of this resolution shall be deemed to constitute a quasi-judicial action of the City Council and shall become effective upon the signature by the Council President and Council Secretary.
And there is...........................
The LUZ City Council meeting on the 6th has THREE items the deal with possible loss of historic sites in Jacksonville. You know 2007-988, to Save Station Five (http://SaveStationFive.blogspot.com) and designate it as historic, but there is also an appeal to the decision of historic to preserve the Annie Lytle School, 2006-24, which if passed, waives the decision of historic to preserve the school.
Introduced by the Land Use and Zoning Committee:RESOLUTION 2006-24A RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE APPEAL OF A FINAL ORDER OF THE JACKSONVILLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DENYING APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS 05-792 (“COA-05-792”) AS REQUESTED BY FOUNDATION HOLDING IV, INC., FOR DEMOLITION OF THE ANNIE LYTLE SCHOOL IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 9 AT 1011 GILMORE STREET, PURSUANT TO SECTION 307.204, ORDINANCE CODE; ADOPTING RECOMMENDED FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE LAND USE AND ZONING COMMITTEE; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.WHEREAS, Foundation Holding IV, Inc. filed application COA-05-792 on September 7, 2005 requesting demolition of the Annie Lytle School in Council District 9 at 1011 Gilmore Street; andWHEREAS, after public hearings, COA-05-792 was denied by Final Order of the Historic Preservation Commission (“HPC”) dated November 15, 2005 (“Final Order”); andWHEREAS, pursuant to Section 307.201, Ordinance Code, Foundation Holding IV, Inc. filed a notice of appeal of the Final Order within 21 calendar days of November 15, 2005; andWHEREAS, the appellant, as the property owner, has standing to appeal; now thereforeBE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Jacksonville:Section 1. Adoption of recommended findings and conclusions. The Council has reviewed the record of proceedings for COA-05-792, which is on file in the Council Legislative Services Division, and has considered the recommended findings and conclusions of the Land Use and Zoning Committee, attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and incorporated herein by reference. The recommended findings and conclusions of the Land Use and Zoning Committee are hereby adopted and shall become effective immediately. This resolution is the final action of the Council.Section 2. Legislative Services is directed to mail a copy of this Resolution, including Exhibit 1, to the appellant and any other parties who testified before the Land Use and Zoning Committee, or otherwise filed a qualified statement as defined in Section 656.140(c), Ordinance Code, or Section 307.202(c), Ordinance Code.Section 3. Effective Date. The adoption of this resolution shall be deemed to constitute a quasi-judicial action of the City Council and shall become effective upon the signature by the Council President and Council Secretary.
And there is...........................
not set to destroy but needs your support anyway
Ordinance 2006-360 Sponsor: Council President at the Request of the Jacksonville Historic Preservation CommissionDate of Introduction: April 11, 2006 Committee(s) of Reference: LUZ Date of Analysis: April 13, 2006Type of Action: Landmark DesignationBill Summary: This bill designates the Grey Hotel at New Berlin, located at 4517 Irving Road, as a landmark, finding that the subject property satisfies at least 3 of the criteria required for such designation. The Zoning Administrator is directed to designate the property as a landmark on the Zoning Atlas, and the Council Secretary is directed to notify each applicant, the property owners, and the Property Appraiser of the designation. Additionally, the Council Secretary is directed to record this ordinance in the public records for Duval County.Background Information: The property is located at the northeast quadrant of Irving Road and Lowery Street in the New Berlin community. The criteria met include value as a significant reminder of heritage, value as a building recognized for the quality of its architecture, distinguishing characteristics valuable for study, and suitability for preservation or restoration. The Planning and Development Dept. has recommended approval.Policy Impact Area: Historic Preservation Fiscal Impact: Undetermined
YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT 781-9473 OR SaveStationFive@comcast.net , and local historic groups and agencies... then write letters, emails, and make phone calls, then SHOW UP and fight to preserve Jacksonville's history, which is being destroyed at every turn!
CALL THE COUNCIL!!
CALL THE MEDIA as well, and remember, without standing up these buildings will fall down! Don't let big money steal YOUR history for their profit!
Ordinance 2006-360 Sponsor: Council President at the Request of the Jacksonville Historic Preservation CommissionDate of Introduction: April 11, 2006 Committee(s) of Reference: LUZ Date of Analysis: April 13, 2006Type of Action: Landmark DesignationBill Summary: This bill designates the Grey Hotel at New Berlin, located at 4517 Irving Road, as a landmark, finding that the subject property satisfies at least 3 of the criteria required for such designation. The Zoning Administrator is directed to designate the property as a landmark on the Zoning Atlas, and the Council Secretary is directed to notify each applicant, the property owners, and the Property Appraiser of the designation. Additionally, the Council Secretary is directed to record this ordinance in the public records for Duval County.Background Information: The property is located at the northeast quadrant of Irving Road and Lowery Street in the New Berlin community. The criteria met include value as a significant reminder of heritage, value as a building recognized for the quality of its architecture, distinguishing characteristics valuable for study, and suitability for preservation or restoration. The Planning and Development Dept. has recommended approval.Policy Impact Area: Historic Preservation Fiscal Impact: Undetermined
YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT 781-9473 OR SaveStationFive@comcast.net , and local historic groups and agencies... then write letters, emails, and make phone calls, then SHOW UP and fight to preserve Jacksonville's history, which is being destroyed at every turn!
CALL THE COUNCIL!!
CALL THE MEDIA as well, and remember, without standing up these buildings will fall down! Don't let big money steal YOUR history for their profit!
Support History!
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AND From http://phasmata.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4
Annie Lytle School
Inside School Number Four
Annie Lytle Elementary School
Written by: J. DeanJanuary 30, 2005
Location:
1011 Gilmore Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
Approximately two blocks from Historic Five points.
Value:
The current assessed land value is $304,482, and the fair market value of the building was appraised at $414,107
History
In 1891, a small wooden schoolhouse was constructed on the current site. After several years of use, the influx of people to the area demanded a greater size and resulted in numerous extensions to the building, continuing until the overall structure became unstable. In 1915, approximately $250,000 was granted by the local government to tear down the schoolhouse and replace it with the structure that exists there today.
The current structure was designed by architect Rutledge Holmes and built by the Florida Engineering and Construction Company, with construction being completed in 1917. It was first called Public School Number Four, but the name was later changed to Annie Lytle Elementary School, after a former principal.
The building initially faced Riverside Park, but the view became obscured in the 1950's when the Interstate 95 expressway was built. As a result of the height of the building and close proximity to I-95, the City of Jacksonville frequently places banners on the front of the building as a welcome to the city.
Sometime in the late 1960's or early 1970's, the building was abandoned by the Duval County School Board and either sold or leased to a private entity, after which it was used as a private Christian school. In 1976, the building was permanently abandoned altogether, and at this point the building was clearly the property of the City of Jacksonville.
In the mid-1990's, a portion of the building caught fire as a result of homeless persons starting a fire inside to keep warm, which got out of control. The fire was
extinguished without any extensive structural damage being incurred.
On October 29, 1999 the building was purchased by Foundation Holding Incorporated. In 2000 and 2001, Foundation Holding had plans to demolish the building and build a condominium complex (to be called "Lytle Place Condominiums"). These plans fell through, possibly as a result of the building's proximity to the noise of I-95, as well as resistance from admirers of the building including the Jacksonville Historical Society and Riverside Avondale Preservation, Inc. As of this writing, the building is still owned by this company. In or around 2002, the roof of the auditorium collapsed to the floor.
Myths And Legends
Stories of murder and accidental death inside the building are entirely unfounded, as far as any researcher can gather. One of the most popular myths is that a boiler explosion killed several people and prompted the school to be left to ruin. Although a boiler explosion may have occurred, there is no record of any death in the school at any time, before or after it was abandoned, nor is there any official record of human remains being found in or around the building, nor did any such explosion cause the abandonment.
Another common myth is that in the recent past, a wrecking ball was smashed into the front of the building in an attempt to demolish it, which resulted in all of the windows on that side of the building being shattered, but the exterior wall remained undamaged. There is no official record of any attempt to demolish the building.
Another somewhat more uncommon myth is that the school's principal and a teacher were having an extramarital affair, and, unable to escape their marriages, committed a dual-suicide in the principal's office, right above the basement's hole-entrance. This is wrong on many levels. Once again, no official record of death in the building. Secondly, the "hole-entrance" to the basement did not exist when the building was in use, and exists today in a classroom, not the principal's office.
Crime
Although there have never been any reports of murder, there was a report of a rape (both the accused and victim homeless) inside the building following its abandonment. Aside from that, the only arrests made there have been for trespassing and vandalism.
Satanic Rituals/Witchcraft
The building has without doubt been used by "Satanists" and/or others for such purposes since its abandonment. There have been several confirmed sightings of makeshift altars with animal remains seated atop them, although such activity seems to have ceased in the past two to three years, most likely in response to heightened security, and no obvious evidence remains.
The Building's Present Condition & Security Measures
The exterior walls of the building are very overgrown with vines, and defaced by a mild amount of graffiti. There are several trees and countless ferns growing out of the roof, and in the warmer months ferns and vines can be found in a well-lit hallway on the second floor, as well as creeping down the cement stairs.
The grass surrounding the building is well-kept, and a tall chain link fence with barbed wire, erected in the latter half of 2004, surrounds the property. When the fence was put in place, so were a series of blindingly bright floodlights on utility poles around the perimeter. The lights are photo-activated, and click on at sundown.
There is a small abandoned house (as well as a tool shed) on the school's property which supposedly once housed the groundskeeper and guardian of the building.
The interior of the building is absolutely covered with graffiti, some of it many decades old. Pentagrams and swastikas abound, as well as sinister messages, bad spelling and grammar, the occasional pleasant poetry, and the lyrics to Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit."The parts of the building that receive no ventilation are quite dusty. It can easily be seen with a flashlight, wafting through the air. Some of this dust is most certainly asbestos.
All of the doors and windows on the first floor have been sealed off, most by plywood, some by cinder blocks and masonry. Many of the second-floor windows have also been boarded up. The entrance for the present owners of the building is the front door, which has been replaced by two large hinged pieces of plywood secured by heavy chains and six heavy Master locks.
Parts of the first floor have no second floor immediately above them, which creates a roof that is accessible through smashed hallway windows on the second floor. There are several ventilation ducts (which are now simply holes in the ceiling) that one could easily fall through if walking on this "sub-roof."
There is one classroom that was clearly the site of the fire. The ceiling's paint is charred black, and there are countless pieces of burned wood laying around.
It is most unusual the number of items left behind by those that last used the building. It is not uncommon to find un-graded schoolwork, desks, school pamphlets, newspapers, etc. I once found a signed field trip permission slip dated April, 1976. The floor is totally littered in many places with trash left by vagrants and squatters over the years.
One of the most notable sites in the building is the view of the auditorium (ceiling collapsed) from the balcony on the second story. It is best during the daylight.
The building does have a basement, which is quite unusual for Florida, especially given Jacksonville's high water table. After searching the interior and exterior of the building, I never found the intended entrance to the basement, however I believe it to be near the auditorium's stage (there is a chimney behind the stage, which I believe to be connected to the basement's boiler). However, the basement is still accessible through a small hole in the cement floor of a classroom on the first level. The distance from the hole to the floor of the basement is around seven to eight feet.
The basement is, without doubt, the most unusual part of this building. The floor is simply dirt. Like most basements, it is very cold. Footprints and dogs' paw prints can be seen everywhere, as well as shallow holes obviously dug by dogs. The paw prints were apparently left there before the basement's true entrance was sealed. The basement is not simply one large room, like most basements. For every room up above, there is a corresponding room below, with elegant red brick archways instead of doors. This creates a feeling of being inside a tunnel system rather than a basement. There is some trash in the area immediately below the hole, as well as some graffiti, but but both stop there. The farther you wander from the hole-entrance, the fewer footprints can be seen. There are countless steel pipes (presumably steam pipes) running horizontally through the "tunnels," which one must step over or crawl under. When in the basement, it becomes apparent that either part of the building is sinking, the soil level is rising, or both. The farther the walk, the farther you must bend forward to avoid smashing your head on the ceiling. The size of the basement and the labyrinth feeling that all of the twists and turns give it led me to feel that the basement may extend out beyond the actual building, although this is rationally unlikely.
There is a small house located just outside the fence, which is occupied by an elderly man who can often be seen walking his dog around the building and frequently notifies police and/or the building's owners of trespassers. He may or may not be paid by the school's present owner.
Also, there is at least one homeless man that stays in Riverside Park and watches the school for intruders. He confronts them after they exit, tells them that the city gave him a place to live nearby, in order to keep an eye on the school (a blatant lie, given that the city no longer owns the building). He then asks for a bribe (usually five dollars per person) not to call the police. He will leave you alone if you pay him, tell him you have no money, or simply ignore him.
Aerial Photos Taken in 2001, Roof of Auditorium Still Intact
Audio Clips, all in MP3 Format
All of these clips have been filtered to remove the irritating background hiss characteristic of tape recorders, and were then amplified. Time listed are MIN:SEC following the start of the recording.
"Sample" 02:28
This (Sample) is just here to give an idea of what the majority of the 30-minute recording sounds like
"Wind Chimes"
06:14
"Microphone Tap"
08:07
"Sample #2"
26:18
A potentially interesting clip (sample #2) from near the end. It contains what sound similar to voices in some parts, but nothing intelligible.
Admittedly, this was my first attempt at recording EVP anywhere, so I know very little about analysis and procedure. However, I can assure you that the room that the recording was conducted in was free of all background noise -- that includes traffic, airflow, and noise caused by the experimenters. It was absolutely dead silent.
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